


Five Years Between

by Lavender_Persimmon305



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Budapest, Cellist, Classical Music, F/M, Filler, Fluff, Picnic, Portland, SHIELD, agent - Freeform, rampant feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-19
Updated: 2012-09-19
Packaged: 2017-11-14 14:12:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/516064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavender_Persimmon305/pseuds/Lavender_Persimmon305
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil Coulson and Parker MacNamara parted ways behind a Christmas tree at a White House holiday party, never thinking they'd ever see each other again. Then she got hired by SHIELD, and he had a day off in Portland...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Years Between

**Late June, 2006**

_Five years._

_You’d think that would be enough time to get a woman out of your head. Never mind that she works for the same company you do, or that it was your own machinations behind the scenes that got her approached for the Division. She got in on her own, as you knew she would. You wouldn’t have suggested her otherwise._

_But it’s hard to leave the thought of Parker MacNamara behind when you find yourself in her hometown with a weekend off while a chamber music festival is happening. And maybe you do check the listing of who will be playing in the festival, only to discover that she isn’t. And maybe you decide to attend anyway, pleased to see one of your newly-favourited concertos on the program, and also, maybe, hoping that she’ll at least be attending…_

Coulson looked out over the crowd beginning to queue for the catered picnic in the Fir Grove behind Toad Hall, and moved down to join them, thanking the servers as he collected his lunch and went to get a glass of iced tea.

The agent was in Portland for the weekend for some oversight with R&D at the regional base. He’d gotten finished early, and so had decided to stay on when he’d heard about the festival.

When he and Parker had parted in DC five and half years prior, he’d never had much of an appreciation for classical music. It was nice to listen to, but it was usually only when there wasn’t another option. His first music love was Swing, and he knew it would undoubtedly remain so. But, the redheaded cellist had made him curious about her genre, and in the few months after he’d returned to his post with SHIELD, Coulson had added quite a few favourite pieces and albums to his collection of downloads and records.

He blinked, stumbling forward a step when someone bumped into him from behind, and he turned, managing to keep his plate horizontal while at the same time reaching a hand out to steady the person. His eyes opened wider as he stared down at the woman in a peach sundress gaping up at him as she regained her footing.

“Coulson!” Parker grinned, laughing as she hugged him, and he smiled, his eyes closing for a moment as he embraced her with one arm, then let her pull away.

She knew his real name, and there was a part of him that felt relief that he didn’t hear a trace of anger in her voice when she’d said it. He had hated lying to her, even though it had been necessary, and he wondered just how much she now knew about him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, pushing a hand back through her hair after settling her sunglasses on her head.

“I had some time off,” he replied. “I’m in town to work with the lab, but we finished early.”

She grinned again, her green eyes alight. “It’s a wonderful surprise. Oh!” She blushed, catching sight of the curious smirk of the woman standing with her, a blonde in a flowing, topaz blue maxi dress. “Sorry, Nic. Phil Coulson, this is Danica Haraldsen.”

“Doctor Haraldsen,” Coulson nodded with a small smile and shook her hand, the women looking surprised to hear him address her by her proper title.

“But then, of course you know who I am,” Danica chuckled, sharing a glance with her friend standing beside the tall agent. “It’s a pleasure, sir,” she said, smiling. “I’ve heard many good things about you,” she grinned, enjoying the blush that flared to life on Parker’s face as she glared at her. “Parker, I’m going to go and grab a table. Could you just get me a glass of Riesling, please?” she requested, gliding away to the seating area while Parker hung her head and hoped a convenient sinkhole would open beneath her.

“’Good things’?” Coulson rumbled, and he grinned as his companion covered her face with her hand.

“I hate her,” she muttered, looking up at him once more. “So, Phillip.” She nodded as they moved forward in line a bit more. “Yes, that is much better.”

He laughed quietly, knowing how she hadn’t liked his cover name, stating that it didn’t suit him. “I’d apologize, but…”

Parker shook her head. “No, don’t. It was necessary, and I understand more now than I did at the beginning.”

He looked down at her, his eyes soft when sunlight flashed off of her necklace, the silver pendant gleaming. “You’re wearing it,” he said, and she reached up and touched the jewelry, smiling that he’d noticed it.

“I love it. It’s one of my favourite pieces,” she admitted. “What it says has gotten me through quite a lot of tough days, and the kind thoughts behind it have helped, too.”

“With the job?” he asked, glancing to see that they were getting close to the beverage area.

Parker nodded. “That and just life in general. There are good days and bad days, and sometimes you need to remember a friend or hear something uplifting.” She brightened, walking forward once more with him. “But the job is good. I’m enjoying it, even on the tough assignments,” she grinned. “It’s challenging. It drives me about as much as the music does, and I’m glad I went this route.” She laughed, looking over to where her friend had settled and was trying to appear like she wasn’t keeping an eye on the couple. “This is the first day off I’ve had in a while, actually,” she said, and Coulson’s smile froze slightly as he realized that time wasn’t going to accommodate them once again.

“Busy schedule?” he asked, determined to keep it light.

He listened to her explain, her smile bright as she gestured while she spoke, her animation and spirit soothing him as it had before in the snowy capitol. She was immersed in SHIELD, he realized as she spoke of missions and meetings, training and travelling, and he should have known that, given that he was the same way. They wouldn’t have time for a relationship; at least not the level of one he wanted to give her. 

Even though they’d only known each other for such a short span of time, she’d gotten to him in a way he’d never really let anyone in before. She deserved someone who could give her more attention than he was able to, and though it was a hot lance of regret in his belly, he tucked away the questions and declarations he’d wanted to give her and shifted his thoughts back to a more platonic level.

They made it finally to the counter and placed their orders, Parker grinning when she nearly flashed her SHIELD ID instead of her driver’s license, and Coulson had to laugh also. Thankfully they’d decided to serve the iced tea in handled Mason jars that year, providing recycling bins for those who didn’t want to keep their glasses, so he was able to pick up his in one hand with his plate as well as politely retrieve Danica’s wine glass. They walked over to the table, the reddening of the other woman’s face telling the newcomers that she had, indeed, been keeping an eye on them.

“So, Phil,” Danica smiled, sipping her wine. “Tell me how you saved Parker’s life…”

He smirked while the redhead beside him groaned softly, Coulson spreading a napkin in his lap before picking up his fork. “I’m afraid that’s classified.”

 

Coulson clicked on the lamps in his hotel room and settled down at the desk to boot up his laptop, the icon for his webchat pinging at him, letting him know that there was someone waiting to speak to him. He clicked on it, one corner of his mouth lifting to see Clint Barton on the viewer, the archer turning as the line connected, a drab hotel room his background.

“Hey, boss,” Barton greeted, grinning to see his superior in civvies, the bridge of Coulson’s nose slightly pink from having been outside. “Good time in Portland?”

“Passable,” Coulson replied, nodding and picking up the stack of file folders beside the computer. “How’s Budapest?”

“Lousy!” came a voice from off-camera, Clint rolling his eyes and Coulson chuckling softly at the scorn in Natasha’s voice as she moved into view, a butterfly bandage spanning a small gash on her forehead. 

“I’ll be out there tomorrow, I think,” Coulson said, looking into one of the files. “We’re done here, so I’ll head out as soon as I can.”

Barton handed his partner her mug of tea as she sat down beside him in the room’s only other chair. “How was the festival?” he asked his handler.

Coulson nodded again, still reading. “Good. Nice. Ran into Parker and had lunch.” He stopped when he realized he’d let that slip out, his jaw tightening as he looked up to find Barton grinning at him.

“Really? As in Parker MacNamara, chief?” he smirked, Natasha glancing between the two men in confusion.

“I’m bringing my taser with me, Barton,” Coulson said quietly. “Please don’t make me have to test the charge on you.”

Clint laughed, holding up his hands and leaning away, while Tasha glared at him. “I’ll tell you later,” he promised out of the side of his mouth to her, snickering as Coulson glared. “How is she, sir?”

“Agent MacNamara is doing well,” Phil replied shortly. “It was pleasant to see her again, especially at such a nice venue.” He cleared his throat, and Clint exhaled, something in the line of Coulson’s shoulders and edge in his eyes concerning him, but then it was gone as the agent began a small briefing, pleasantries left aside for business.

Coulson glanced for a second at the playbill under his car keys on the desk, Parker’s handwriting neat in the margins from where she’d written down a few other pieces she thought he might like, and he sighed inwardly.

Normally he had perfect timing; with this woman, it was anything but.

He turned away from the note and focused on his impromptu meeting, certain that he and Parker would cross paths again, and maybe they could put this unfinished business between them to rest.


End file.
